Many people would find ink stained finger nails irritating, but for me they are true sign of happiness. They symbolise healthy mental wellbeing and joy. Inky fingers means I’m printing, one of my life’s passions. But what does that have to do with my mental health?
I have always found printmaking a joyous, but demanding process. Whether it be letterpress or woodcut, etching or screen printing; it requires massive amounts of energy. The majority of the time in printmaking your block/stamp/plate/type are the mirror image of what will be printed. In letterpress that means you’re spelling backwards. If you’re carving or engraving an image, then you need to consider how the image will look flipped and mirrored.
Linocut, the stamp and print side by side.
Other process have their interesting quirks. Screen printing and risograph require colours to be printed individually. This requires separating your image into separate layers, making sure to consider where you want the colours to overlap and create another colour. To process these colour layers they must first be made into black and white images. The outcome will be series of strange images all in black and white. A sensible printmaker labels each layer, so they know what colour the image will be when printed and brought together. All of which can boggle the mind at times.
Linocut and woodcutting often require you to think about the image in a inverted state. Generally you carve away the negative space. You can also layer colours by either creating multiple blocks or through the reduction process. Reduction uses only one block. You start with the lightest colour (highlights) which requires minimal carving. Every layer of colour, you carve away a bit more of the block. Until you reach your darkest colour (shadows). At this stage there isn’t much left of the block you started with.
A3 Block, woodcut print, ready for inking will be printed as all one colour.
Printmaking, whatever the process, takes careful planning and so much concentration; particularly in the early stages of the process. So many little things can go wrong that can impact the end print. You need complete focus, motivation and a calm state of mind to get through it.
Then comes printing, which can make or break your print. All that careful planning could suddenly be thrown out the window. Etching plates are exposed to acid and the length of time they are in contact with acid can effect the end result of the print. But there’s no knowing for sure until the acid has been washed away, ink is on the plate and you’ve bravely made your first print.
Your skill, knowledge and experience shows when you begin to print. A bit of luck can certainly help. A number of factors can impact your print and its success. Unseen residue on the block, not enough pressure from the press, consistency of ink, size of the roller, missing type from the letterpress, block surface isn’t level, paper too damp, wrong type of paper, dust or small fibres getting stuck in the ink, incorrect packing*, incorrect angle of the squeegee when screen printing, layers not aligning, unwanted noise** and fingerprints from messy hands. The list is endless. Sometimes the error is the mistake of the printmaker, sometimes it’s just one of those things. Whatever the reason, you have to either roll with it or work out a creative solution.
Proof prints. Some of the prints are faded due to a lack of pressure and paper absorbency.
Because of all the copious things that can go wrong, it can be quite frustrating and stressful. But that’s what makes it even more satisfying and rewarding when everything comes together; either by careful planning and preparation or through creative problem solving.
The process can also be physically demanding. Often requires you to be on your feet for hours at a time. Rollers tend to be slightly weighted, due to their material, the weight helps to evenly spread the ink. Although not ridiculously heavy, after a while of repeated motions, it’s easy to get tired. Presses come in all shapes and size and require a bit of muscle to operate them. At Uni we had a large Albion Press, I wasn’t strong enough to operate the leaver. My solution was to hold on and lean away from the press, using my body to pull the handle rather than strength. My tutor Jen could operate it with one hand, which I’m still in awe of. When I print regularly I can build up some impressive arm muscles. Printing can take anywhere from half a day to several days depending on how many prints or errors you encounter.
Photo credit: Jen Whiskerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CSNG6dTsRaa/
My own printing equipment had begun to collect dust. I felt incredibly guilty and ashamed. I labelled myself as lazy, I thought it was because I wasn’t passionate enough to power though and just do it. As I struggled with my mental health, I couldn’t find any motivation. I didn’t have the mental capacity needed to concentrate and focus on the design. I didn’t have the energy needed to use and operate my equipment. And I certainly didn’t have the resilience to face the inevitable issues when printing. But slowly, through medical and holistic treatment, I have been getting better. It gives me great joy to now share my prints with you all. Not only am I passionate about the process, but every print I make is a declaration and celebration of wellness and happiness.
My latest print, available in my shop.
Packing* paper and card used in the press to help with even pressure
Noise** where the block hasn’t been properly cut away leaving small lines or shapes that weren’t planned on the print.